Телави: История и современность кахетинской столицы

Telavi ( ) is the main city and administrative center of Georgia's eastern province of Kakheti. Its population consists of some 19,751 inhabitants (as of the year 2017). The city is located on the foothills of the Tsiv Gombori Range at above sea level.

The first archaeological findings from Telavi date back to the Bronze Age. One of the earliest surviving accounts of Telavi is from the 2nd century AD, by Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus, who mentions the name Teleda (a reference to Telavi). Telavi began to transform into a fairly important and large political and administrative center in the 8th century. Interesting information on Telavi is provided in the records by an Arab geographer, Al Muqaddasi of the 10th century, who mentions Telavi along with such important cities of that time's Caucasus as Tbilisi, Shamkhor, Ganja, Shemakha and Shirvan. Speaking about the population of Telavi, Al Muqaddasi points out that for the most part it consisted of Christians. From the 10th until the 12th century, Telavi served as the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti and later Kingdom of Kakhet Hereti. During the Golden Era of the Georgian State (12th–13th centuries), Telavi turned into one of the most important political and economic centers of the Georgian State. After the disintegration of the united Georgian Kingdom in the 15th century, the role of Telavi started to decline and the city eventually became an ordinary town of trade and crafts. Telavi regained its political importance in the 17th century when it became a capital of the kingdom of Kakheti. By 1762, it turned into the second capital (after Tbilisi) of the united Eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartl Kakheti. The reign of King Erekle II, who was born and died in this city, was a special epoch in the history of Telavi. During this period (1744–1798) it grew into a strategic and cultural centre. Erakle II established there a theological seminary and founded a theatre. Erekle II's reforms touched upon all aspects of life in the country. They changed fundamentally the political, economical and cultural orientation of Kartli Kakheti and, subsequently of the whole Georgia. His name became a symbol of freedom and national independence of the Georgian people. Erakle II is still called affectionately "Patara Kakhi" (Little Kakhetian), and his heroic deeds are described in folk literature.

In 1801, after the Kingdom of Kartli Kakheti was annexed by the Russian Empire, Telavi lost its status as a capital. In the 19th century, the city was the administrative center of the Telavi uezd within the Tiflis Governorate. During that period, the economy of the city was mainly composed of small scale industries (leather painting, pottery production, wine making, etc. ), commerce and agriculture. The town's population was about 12,000 in the end of the 19th century (including about 9,000 Armenians and 2,000 ethnic Georgians).

The former Armenian population had a rich cultural life, some of which remains to this day, and some of which is lost. Avag (Mother) St. George Church called Surb Gevorg in Armenian, located in the heart of the old city. The bell tower was built in 1829. In 1861 permission was requested to build a dome (gmbet) on the church. By early 1923 the church was closed, and the bell tower was demolished on April 19, 1924. In May of the same year the gavit was also demolished, along with the serf walls on the western and southern sides. Lowest recorded temperature: 15.0 °C (5 °F) on 28 January 2016.

Telavi serves as the hometown of the Georgian bush pilot Mimino (Vakhtang Kikabidze) in the 1977 Soviet comedy Mimino.